Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman have signed on to a film based on the new Leanne Shapton book Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry. The film, from Paramount Pictures, will be developed as a romantic comedy, with Pitt to play Morris and Porman to play Doolan. [Variety]

Jessica Lucas (Cloverfield) has landed a lead role on the CW’s new Melrose Place series. Lucas will play Riley Richmond, a wealthy and beautiful 24-year-old who works as an inncer-city elementary school teacher. [THR]

Freddie Prinze Jr. is returning to ABC for the network’s comedy pilot No Heroics. The pilot is about four B-list superheroes living among us. Prinze’s character, Bradley aka Ultimatum, is the nemesis to the group’s leader Pete aka Chillout. [THR]

Walden Media has signed Ellen DeGeneres as Mother Nature in a currently untitled comedy that is being produced by the company. Walden says that DeGeneres “will return to Earth for the first time since the planet’s creation.” The film will co-star Jim Carrey.[First Showing]